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ThaWilsonBlock Magazine Issue66 (August 2018)

Nipsey Hussle "Victory Lap" Album Review

It’s taken Los Angeles MC Nipsey Hussle longer than most to create his moment. The seasoned mixtape veteran has been on the indie-rap circuit for almost a decade and was once touted as a future star. When fame didn’t come, he made his own seat at the table, infamously selling copies of his Crenshaw tape for $100 each and getting JAY-Z to endorse him and buy 100 of them. He parlayed his rap successes into local business ventures—including a hair shop and a “smart store” for his clothing line—and became a hometown hero who turned his talent into a small merchandising empire. Victory Lap, his first album on a multi-project deal with Atlantic Records, is more than six years in the making. It is formally his “debut album” but functionally his big cash in. Bridging several generations of West Coast rap, Victory Lap uses his cache of war stories to power the most gripping entry in his catalog, recouping an investment.Read Full Review...

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WALKING TOUR Old Pasadena Historic Pubs & Trivia Thursday, May 25 | 4:30 - 7:30pm & 6:00 - 9:00pmTickets: Member $80 | Non-Member $87Experience the history of a few famous and infamous Old Pasadena watering holes and haunts. This guided tour of our original downtown includes stops at a handful of pubs, distinctive for their history, architecture and spirits. Tour-goer's can delight in beer tastings plus little-known facts and forgotten lore. Dinner and a set of flight glasses are included -- a great way to get to know historic Old Pasadena!

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